Rotary conveyer



May 11,1943. E. MCCARTHY ROCIARY CQNVEYER Filed June 29, 1940 Patented May 11, 1943 UNl'lED STATES PATENT QFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in dor'nestic heating plants and has more particular reference to a revolving tube conveyer for moving domestic stoker size coal or coke and the ashes-or refuse from combustion of coal or coke in connection with the operation of domestic heaters where coal, coke, ashes or refuse are fed "to the conveyer through longitudinal slots cutout in the form of a squirrel cage at the receiving end of a rigid, hollow cylindrical, metal tube having a series of fixed, inclined plane slides attached to the inner surface which engage the materials and cause them to move to the discharge end by the gravitating action set up when the tube is revolved about its longitudinal axis.

The primary object of my invention is to provide greater utility in the use of coal and coke as "domestic heating fuels.

Another object of my invention is to provide in domestic heating plants a simple mechanical means of moving coal, coke, ashes and refuse, without creating excessive abrasive cutting action and frictional resistance due to movement of these'materials within a conveyer tube.

A further object of my invention is to provide aco'nveyer of the hollow cylindrical rotary type with "special interior slides to permit the use of a'tube of sufiiciently small inside diameter for practical application to domestic heating equipmerit and at the sa'metime have ample conveying capacity and internal clearances to handle without obstruction the ragged and long irregular shaped pieces of coal, coke or clinker which may be admitted to the tube.

I attain these objects'by combination andarrangement of the several parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a View in elevation of the squirrel cage end of a conveyer embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation View of part of a conveyer made according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a view in section on line 33, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a partial sectional view taken on line 4-4, Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 3 showing the conveyer therein after it has been rotated through an angle of 180";

Figure 6 is a partial sectional view taken on line 66, Figure 5;

Figure 7 is aview in section taken on line 'I'l, Figure 2;

Figure -8 is a view in plan showing one of the "conveyer slide elements; and

Figure 9 is a view partially 'in vertical section showing 'a'conveyer embodying my invention associatedwith'a hopper and mechanism for driving the conveyer.

Similar numerals refer throughout the several views.

The numeral l0 designates generally the hollow cylindrical tube-of the conveyer with the to similar parts squirrel cage ll and spider i2 provided with slots so that when the receiving end of the tube -is projected into a hopper H containing materials to be conveyed (see Fig. 9), the materials pass through the slots, and as the tube is rotated about its longitudinal axis by anysuitable means, a gravitating action is set up and the materials have a tendency-to spread out and seek. a common level within the squirrel cage and main section of the tube, With the result that the materials are engaged by slide 53 and caused to move downward-and forward within the tube to slide [4 where'they are again engaged and caused to move downward and forward to slide l5, then to slide [6 and so on to the discharge end-of the tube.

Each of the slides is inclined in two directions: thatis, the straight edg'es'of the slides are inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube 10, and the plane surfaces of the slides are inclined to form acute angles between the-faces of the slides and the longitudinal axis on the side of the slides toward the-discharge'end ofthetube. More particularly, the several slides l-3,14,45,46, etc. are alternately arranged at opposite sides of a first plane through the longitudinal axis of the tube W with the inner "edges of the slides disposed approximately in the said first plane and their body portions extending to the inner surface of said tube I0 entirely at one side of the first plane. Furthermore, the slide elements are inclined in the direction of a conveyance of the conveyer with their inner edges disposed at an acute angle with respect to a second plane through the axis of the tube in at right angles to the first plane, and the plane of the leading face of each slide is disposed at an acute angle with respect to the said first plane.

The squirrel cage II has a triple duty to perform in that it loosens the fuels and refuse and prevents the admission of pieces which are too chunky to clear the internal structure of the conveyer; breaks up pieces of friable fuels and refuse coming in contact with the slots; and prevents excessive transverse pressure on the slides at the entrance end which might otherwise cause the fuels or refuse to pack and prevent normal flow.

Each slide is uniformly constructed of plane surface sheet metal and the general outline of the edges of each silde is that of a straight line joining the ends of a smooth curve. The curved edge of the slide conform with the curvature of intersection of the slide with a one-half cylindrical section of the tube. The point where the curved edge of the slide meets the straight edge of the slide to form the lesser angle is hereinafter called the facing point of the slide, and the point where the curved edge of the slide meets the straight edge to form the greater angle is hereinafter called the trailing point of the slide.

In constructing my conveyer, I prefer to use a single piece of rigid, hollow cylindrical, metal tubing of any desired length; and as a ready means of securing the slides to the inner surfaces, I prefer to cut the tube through its longitudinal axis to form two semi-cylindrical sections A and B with edges parallel and in the same plane. To the inner surface of the semi-cylindrical section A, a series of equally spaced sheet metal, inclined plane slides I3, I 5, etc., are welded or otherwise securely attached in fixed parallel relation with respect to each other, with the straight edges of the slides in the same or in approximately the same plane as the parallel edges of the semi-cylindrical section and inclined with the facing point toward the receiving end of the tube and trailing point toward the discharge end of the tube, and with the plane surface of each slide intersecting the inner surface of the semi-cylindrical section of the tube to produce an angle of inclination which is acute with respect to the longitudinal axis on the side of each slide toward the discharge end of the tube.

A similar series of slides I4, 16, etc., are welded or otherwise securely attached to the complementary semi-cylindrical section B and so arranged that when the two sections A and B are joined together by autogeneous welding or other means to form the smoothest and tightest possible joint obtainable, the trailing point of slide I3 will approximately coincide with the facing point of slide l4, and trailing point of slide [4 will approximately coincide With the facing point of slide I5, and so on with each successive slide throughout the length of the tube.

Suitable longitudinal slots of dimensions consistent with the material to be handled are then cut out at the receiving end of the tube to form the squirrel cage arrangement II, and the spider I2 is welded or otherwise securely attached to the end of the squirrel cage.

The slides may be installed for either clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation of the tube which may be driven by any suitable means such as a motor M, but in either case, the direction of rotation is such that the straight edge leads the curved edge in rotation near the facing point of each slide.

While the preferred form of my invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that minor changes may be made in details of construction and combination and arrangement of the several parts within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a conveyer comprising a tubular casing and means for rotating said casing about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of imperforate fiat conveyer elements disposed in said casing and alternately arranged at opposite sides of a first plane through the longitudinal axis thereof with the inner edges of said elements disposed approximately in said first plane and their body portions extending to the inner surface of the casing entirely at one side of the first plane, said elements being inclined in the direction of conveyance with their inner edges disposed at an acute angle with respect to a second plane through the axis of the casing at right angles to said first plane, and the plane of the leading face of said elements being disposed at an acute angle with respect to said first plane.

2. In a conveyer comprising a tubular casing and means for rotating said casing about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of imperforate flat conveyer elements disposed in said casing and alternately arranged at opposite sides of a first plane through the longitudinal axis thereof with the inner edges of said elements disposed approximately in said first plane and their body portions extending to the inner surface of the casing entirely at one side of the first plane, said elements being inclined in the direction of conveyance with their inner edges disposed at an acute angle with respect to a second plane through the axis of the casing at right angles to said first plane and with the trailing end of the inner edge of each element meeting the leading end of the inner edge of the preceding element, and the plane of the leading face of said elements being disposed at an acute angle with respect to said first plane.

EDMUND MCCARTHY. 

